Samurai Jack
by DariusSheeno
Summary: Picking up right after the events of Season 4, this is a full rewriting of the epic saga, with a couple of tweaks and added content. This story details the downfall of Jack, and the experiences of characters he has encountered along his journey.
1. I

**_"Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

Walking up a mountain wasn't a foreign experience for Jack. He traveled through the harshest of conditions, and lived to tell the tale of them all. He was caught in the dead of winter with just a gi. He shouldn't have a problem with this. But something didn't feel right about this journey. He thought back to his previous adventures. Climbing up a cliff with nothing but a sword and his wit. Almost being killed by a blue figure. Nearly freezing to death in a wintery hell. This should be a breeze. So why did he feel so uneasy?

He felt a presence behind him. _That must be it_ , he thought to himself. Gripping his sword in case of danger, he turned around to face his would-be opponent…

…and found nothing more than a little goat.

"Oh, hello little friend," he said nicely. "I don't suppose if you know there is a time portal atop this mountain, do you?"

The little goat simply tilted his head in interest.

"No? Yes?" Jack tried asking once more. The goat was quiet. Jack sighed in disappointment.

"Aku has destroyed many. I worry that there are none left."

He kept walking, the sound of his wooden sandals penetrating the air. Although he felt alone, he couldn't help but notice the sound of hooves as well. But he kept walking. The sound of the hooves multiplied. There was no longer just one little goat, but two. Maybe more. Jack didn't care for such things, however. They were harmless, and if they weren't corrupted by Aku's reign of evil, they were a friend.

Jack kept walking for hours, and as the sun began to end its rising phase, Jack reached the top of the mountain. Clouds loomed along the floor, indicating the height of the mountain Jack was on. Stones poked from the top, looking almost artificial in shape and texture. As Jack walked through this peculiar forest of boulders, he couldn't help but notice the shape of a goat head carved into the boulder. Whatever these little goats were, they were important. He turned back and looked at three little goats who stared back at him. They locked for about a minute before one of the goats turned back and walked in a different direction. Jack, curious, followed it. The goat stopped, indicating that they arrived their destination. Jack, looking around, found himself in what seemed like a ground for rituals and ceremony. Those same boulders with goat heads carved into it circled the center. In the very center, lay a portal. It gleamed brightly and-

THE PORTAL.

Jack ran towards it, hoping he was early enough to outpace Aku. He jumped in, and a feeling of freedom washed over him. He had done it. His journey was over. He could finally go back and finish Aku. Everything was going to be just right.

Aku was bored. There was nothing to do. He already met his daily quota of innocents to be terrorized, and he couldn't think up of a plan to stop any hero from getting into his base. His trusted scientists were explaining to him their latest invention, the Advanced Beetle Drone, and how their low cost and ease of production can be overwhelming to any opponent, but Aku just wasn't into it. He lay in his seat, waiting for death to take him, even though he knew it would never happen.

"My lord, are you alright?" one of the scientists asked.

Aku simply replied, "Yes, yes. I'm fine."

The scientists were looking up to him in anticipation of his approval or disapproval. Aku approved of the project, and they got to work on production. Aku sighed, worried that he might not want to do this forever.

But what about the Samurai? _Yes_ , Aku thought, _what about the Samurai?_ He glided over to a part of his fortress, pushed aside a flame, and revealed a hidden zipper. Unzipping to see his magic mirror, he saw what Jack was up to. The Samurai had found another portal and was closing in, fast. Aku gasped, and immediately sprang into action. Shooting himself into the air, he traveled at top speed to the mountain, where the last portal remained.

Arriving on scene, Aku frantically looked around for the Samurai, hoping he didn't already jump in. However, it seemed as if he was too late. Desperately, Aku reached into the portal, extending his arm to unimaginable length, and was able to grab a piece of cloth. Aku smiled, for he had caught the Samurai in time. Pulling his arm up, he revealed the little fool, and tossed him out of the portal.

Jack rolled until he hit a boulder. But he didn't care about the pain that ensued. Aku was here, and he had foiled Jack once more. Aku cackled as Jack looked at him, thinking of a plan. It seemed as if the only option was to run, and fend off the hand once he was in the portal.

"Whew, that was close!" Aku remarked. "I didn't think you would get here so fast."

Jack was furious. With his plan in mind, he made a beeline for the portal. It was in reach. It was so close. He could almost feel its energy.

Aku's light lit up with a red energy. He focused on the portal, and in a flash, it was gone, replaced by an endless hole. Jack was blasted back, and lay on his belly.

"FOOL!" Aku shouted.

Jack, recovering from the blast, looked up in surprise. It was gone.

"Oh, Fun Fact," Aku began. "That was the last remaining time portal in existence."

Jack was shocked. He couldn't comprehend it. His journey was over, but not because he made it, but because his only way of making it back home was completely gone. All the doors, all the opportunities, all gone. Jack became angry beyond his own belief. Aku simply laughed at his nemesis' failure.

"Ooh, so angry! Be careful, Samurai! Too much stress will give you a heart attack," Aku joked. Then he realized his mistake. "OOH! What am I saying? Please continue; never mind what I said."

Jack cried out. It was the loudest he had ever been. His lungs might have given out had he not been so full of adrenaline. He unsheathed his katana, and charged at Aku, with only fury guiding his blade. Aku was taken aback by the sudden movements, even as so much as letting out a yelp. Luckily, Aku recovered quickly, and as Jack continued the assault, Aku began poking fun.

"Oho! Not so fast Samurai! I know better than to mess with that sword!"

Aku was right. Jack's real only weapon that can hurt Aku was the element of surprise. Without it, the sword was useless, as Aku can simply weave in and out, dodging any strike or blow. Jack calmed down, and composed himself.

Aku smiled. He had won that battle. Now, if someone were to kill him now, that would be great. Aku, spotting the goats, had an idea.

"But, before I go, I leave you someone to play with."

Aku's eyes lit up and using his powers, turned the little harmless goats into giant, flesh eating bulls. Aku knew that the logic didn't make sense, as goats are not the same animal as bulls, but Aku didn't care for logic. He just wanted the Samurai dead.

The bulls roared, and Jack turned around to face them. The bulls charged at Jack, destroying everything in their path. Jack was still angry, and it showed through when he cut open the head of the first bull. The bull let out one roar before it fell, the life escaping it. The second bull charged at Jack at full speed, and sent him flying across the gap. Recovering quickly, the bull and Jack charged at each other, jumping over the hole and meeting in the middle, where Jack sunk his sword into the head of the bull and jumped off, his legs pushing the creature into abyss, never to be seen again. Landing, Jack was caught by surprise again by the third bull, who was able to rip the top part of Jack's gi off. Jack got off, and jumped at the last second before the beast smashed into the boulder behind where Jack used to be. Jack landed on the head, and once again, sunk his sword into the head, killing the beast.

However, to Jack's surprise, the bull began shrinking, and in a moment, what was once an evil creature corrupted by Aku became the little goat that helped Jack. Jack was shocked at this revelation, and turned around to see that the other little goat was dead as well. He had killed them in his rage. He was responsible for this. Devastated, Jack dropped his sword and got on his knees, wishing there was a way to bring them back. However, the sound of crumbling rock alerted Jack to a falling boulder, and he got out of the way before the sheer rock crushed him. But, within the microsecond, he was no longer concerned with his life. His sword hung over a cliff, and the shockwave caused by the falling had given it a reason to fall into the hole. Jack sprang to the cliff, and reached for the sword, but it was too late. His signature weapon, the only thing he truly can trust, was gone. While he didn't need it, he used it as a part of his daily routine, his battles; the sword didn't become a part of Jack, Jack became a part of the sword. And now without it, he was lost. Jack blinked a couple of times, arm still outstretched into the inky blackness that was his doom. He was done for.

* * *

In another part of the world, a woman held out her baby in pride. It didn't cry. Smiling, the woman put it down, and sat down on a seat. _Such a wonderful child_ , she thought. Her mind took her back to the one day months ago where she lost it to some ogres. The samurai had saved it, but in the process, the baby achieved sakai, the spirit of a samurai. The woman let out a smirk, and thought to herself: _She would make a fine servant to Aku._

 _Someday…_


	2. II

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

II

As Jack reached the base of the mountain, the sun began to set. He experienced an entire range of emotions throughout his journey down, from sadness to anger to despair. As he made it to ground level, he looked up. The mountain cast a long shadow over the forest, and all the way into the horizon. Jack sighed. He could no longer appreciate its beauty anymore. For many fictional heroes, once the story ends, time freezes. There are no consequences to their victory or failure. The story just ends, and nothing happens. This was not the case for Jack. Even after the failure of his quest at the top of the mountain, his time hasn't ended. He would have to continue to walk this land until his dying breath. He walked toward the forest, letting fate decide where he went next. It was going to be a long trek.

* * *

Eleanora was not one to be trifled with. Though she may have seemed poor, you'd be mistaken to assume she was weak and powerless. That was not the case, as she alone led her tribe after her husband's death. She was cunning and clever, and maybe even pretty. The whole tribe respected her, and while outsiders generally were not to kind upon her, she knew when to step back and when to attack. She seemed like a natural leader.

However, inside, she held a secret. A secret so dark, it might've pushed the entire tribe to civil war, hence why she kept it a secret. She was a sympathizer of Aku. You see, the Samurai used to be a good friend of her husband. He visited the village man times. But one raid years ago changed that. A legion of pirates overwhelmed the tribe's existing army, to the point where the man was left to fend for himself. He was able to fight off the pirates, but shortly after the battle, he died of his wounds. Samurai Jack was nowhere to be found, and he has not visited since. Angry, Eleanora took the tribe herself, and has since led it to prosperity. However, her hatred of the Samurai never quite died down.

After some time, she stepped down as leader, and with a child, she began traveling on her own. Her child was not fazed by anything, for it had achieved sakai, the spirit of the samurai. In her journey, she began teaching the creature the ways of Aku, and the responsibility of the child to keep the empire intact. Over her travels, she met different people who were also sympathizers, and they began traveling with her, too.

Eleanora was deep in a forest with her followers, conversating when one of her followers chimed in.

"What are we to do if someone catches us? We are but a band of rogues, sympathizing Aku's goals and dreams. Most of the people out there prefer the Samurai."

Eleanora wasn't furious. She accepted these questions, for she had learned to be patient. Evil does not succeed if it is not composed correctly.

"We won't be caught. Why, instead we will show ourselves as ever so powerful!"

Another follower had a question.

"Where are we going, milady?"

Eleanora replied, "We are trying to find a good place to begin this new group. I plan to build a fortress, somewhere where we can call home and a base of operations. With it, our new group will prosper and we will be able to carry out Aku's orders as he wishes!"

The child was quiet throughout the journey.

"What of the child? Shouldn't we prioritize the strong first?"

Eleanora looked back with an annoyed look on her face.

"We should prioritize the next generation of Aku sympathizers, we are strong, but they shall be stronger, better, faster. Lest we be unsuccessful, there will be more."

They found an exit to the forest, and alas, Eleanora found her place. A very large crater sat at the edge of the forest, untouched by nature. A large hill sat in the middle, perfect for any type of castle. It had, in fact, been one of Aku's hideouts at one point along the millennia. Eleanora smiled. It was perfect. She had waited so long for her ideals to come into fruition, and looking at the place, she had found it.

"Here, it should be. The fortress of One Aku."

She looked back at her followers. Twelve people, all ready to serve Aku.

Eleanora smiled.

No one would be foolish enough to oppose Aku now.

No one.

* * *

Jack was very tired. Fate led him nowhere. Yet, Jack didn't care. He just kept walking. The world didn't matter anymore to him; should someone be in trouble, they were on their own. Jack just kept going. But he did stop when he heard of a sound of grinding metal and the tip-tap of insect legs. There were beetle drones coming.

Jack backed up to a tree. Looking over his shoulder, he found five of them, all looking for him. He reached for his sword and prepared himself for battle.

And grabbed air.

Jack had forgotten he had lost his sword. His sheath remained empty. Of course, Jack had forgotten. His sword remained nestled in that hole so he grabbed that instead. Pulling it off from his gi, he confronted the drones, and beat them all to nothing more but nuts and bolts. Jack put his sheath back. He became deeply saddened. Yes, he had won the battle, but it didn't feel right. Not without his sword at his side.

He kept on walking, when more beetle drones arrived. But Jack didn't care. Not anymore. Without his sword, he was lost. Doomed to forever walk this forsaken land. The beetle drones attempted to cut him off, prevent him from fleeing, but he simply walked in a different direction, going around them. They tried to attack him, but however depressed he was, luck was on his side. One drone shot at Jack, but seemingly out of nowhere, an ox ran in, took the shot, and ran off. Another shot was made, and it happened again. Confused, one of the beetle drones attempted to pounce on Jack. It instead crashed into a tree branch. This was getting ridiculous. The drones were ready to go at it with everything they had, to tear the Samurai to shreds. But a low rumble was heard from a distance. The drones didn't care, and they kept stalking Jack, waiting for the right time to pounce. The rumbling became louder. It seemed as though it was getting closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Just as the beetle drones got within a meter of Jack, a herd of wild oxen ran over the beetle drones, destroying them all. Jack didn't turn back. He just kept walking. All that was left of the beetle drones were crushed pieces of metal and electrical devices.

Yet, Jack didn't care.

He just kept walking.

* * *

Returning to his fortress, Aku had one of his workers blow a horn and alert the compound of his victory. When everybody gathered around, Aku made his announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I am proud to announce that Samurai Jack will no longer be of concern!"

Everybody cheered.

"Did you kill him?" One yelled.

"Did you skewer him and turn his insides to jelly?" Another shouted out.

"I destroyed all the time portals!" Aku replied. Everybody went silent.

"Samurai Jack cannot go to the past and eliminate us all anymore! Now, we just wait for the Samurai to age, and-"

"DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!" They all screamed out. Aku beamed. This was the world he envisioned. This was his end game. He loved every minute of it, and it loved every minute of him.

However, one scientist didn't seem to see eye-to-eye.

"But, my lord. Shouldn't the drastic change in time alter his aging-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Aku simply vaporized him.

"Anybody else?" He yelled.

This time, nobody said anything.

* * *

Jack kept walking on, disappointment growing in every step he took. As he kept going, winter began setting in. Snow fell liberally across the entire forest, drenching it in a white hell. Jack tried to keep going, but the winter slowed him down. Jack, growing a bit annoyed, tried to keep going, but the snow levels rose quickly, leaving Jack to give up. Frustrated, Jack sat down, resting himself on a tree. The temperature was falling drastically, and after fighting to stay awake, Jack fell unconscious on that tree. Before he left, he could swear that he saw his own breath cloud form Aku.

It cackled at him.


	3. III

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

III

Eleanora looked on as workers began carving into the land, building her fortress. The one that would serve as the base of operations of One Aku. She was smiling when a person walked over next to her.

"The Samurai is out there. We cannot give chase if we are only in one place," She said.

"We are not to chase the Samurai," Eleanora replied. "We shall wait for the right time."

The person took notice of her stance. "Hmmm. You mean to give him an honorable death?"

"It is only fair that the nemesis of Aku gets the justice he deserves, Miss…."

She looked over, and raised her eyebrows. The lady was an old woman. Small stature, crooked lips, hunched over. But her eyes. Those eyes, indicative of a person who knows more than they let out, stared into Eleanora's soul, studying her.

"Tatsu." The woman replied. "It seems as if you do not hold as much of a grudge on the Samurai as you think you do."

Indeed, Eleanora may have hated Jack for never being able to help her, she still had a certain respect for him. He was only human, and yet he claimed achievements no one else would dare touch.

"He is…a very complicated man. He is just confused as to who is the true master of the universe. He wants to 'help' people, but instead he ends up hurting everybody. He needs to be taught a lesson."

Tatsu frowned. "The man needs to be stopped immediately. If not by conventional means, then maybe we can settle for something else. Something a bit more…unnatural. Perhaps you forget that we are trying to kill the Samurai? We are One Aku, after all. Several entities fighting for one cause, one lord."

Eleanora looked away and lifted her chin. She knew she was defeated. But she could not show it.

"Are you challenging me, Tatsu?"

"No. I'm simply stating the facts," Tatsu replied. She began walking away. As Tatsu left, she noticed the daughter of Eleanora, then named Meredith, meditating. Tatsu's frown turned into a smile before she disappeared into the camp the group was staying in.

Eleanora sighed.

Tatsu was one to be kept on eye on.

* * *

Jack heard a noise from afar. He didn't mind it. He didn't care. He just wanted death to take him right then and there.

More noise. Hooves trailing on snow.

Jack eyes fluttered open. He was dazed, confused. He tried lifting his hand. Sharp jabs of pain coursed through his nervous system as his muscles worked to their limits. Shaking from the cold, he looked at his hand, and saw one of his fingers turning waxy and glossy. Jack sighed. He did his best to turn his head, hearing ice grind against itself as he did. He saw that the snowfall had ended, but it was still pretty deep. He got up, and immediately regretted it, as he felt his bones grinding, muscles straining, every cell in his body was screaming out in pain. He decided quickly to keep walking. Wrong choice. Every step caused regret. Every time he lifted his foot, pain shot up his leg.

He turned his head, and saw a deer, digging through the snow, searching for food. It lifted his head, and made eye contact with Jack. They stared for about a minute, before the deer went back to eating.

Jack tried to smile, and pain got the best of him. He couldn't die now. He just couldn't. He could leave, disappear, lay low until a better time.

 _Yes_ , Jack, thought. _I can disappear_.

He walked through the snow, hope running through his veins. He had to get to Aku City. And he knew just how.

* * *

Jack had arrived at the city, but his experiences had left him in despair. Along his travels, he had found many disturbing things. With each encounter, a little of his hope diminished.

Famine.

Death.

Destruction.

Desperation.

Jack saw an entire resistance force torn to shreds. A village of people starving due to burning crops. A city full of people trading different drugs to escape their harsh reality. Even a game where people get entertainment out of killing each other.

Each of these experiences tore at Jack's heart, eating away at his conscience.

At one point, Jack ran into a place he encountered long ago. He remembered it well, when an evil disc jockey corrupted the entire youth of the village using music. He looked toward the area where the disc jockey used to be. He walked over, feeling a thumping sound as he did. This worried him a little. He became more curious with every step. His subconscious told him to get out, as he might not like the answer to what was there. He disregarded it, and kept going. When he arrived, he saw that things haven't changed. Teenagers were dancing to the same noise, but someone else was on stage. Jack was aghast. All his work, all that fighting, that sweat and blood, and he changed nothing? As Jack left, he bumped into a woman. Mid-20s, purple hair, red vest and skirt on top of a purple tracksuit; Jack immediately recognized her as the innkeeper's daughter, Olivia. However, it seemed as if she could not recognize him.

"So sorry! I'm late for my first gig!" She said as she ran off.

Jack stood there for a while. Everything he had fought for was pointless. All the hope he had gained while in that forest was gone.

Jack began to walk away when he heard Olivia shout, "WAIT!"

Jack didn't wait. He just kept walking.

* * *

Now, that he had arrived to where he was supposed to begin laying low, but Jack at this point didn't just want to lay low. Samurai Jack had failed. He couldn't keep living with that. After swiping some clothes from the black market, he changed to them. A green sweater and gray pants with boots.

 _This might work_ , Jack thought to himself. He removed the pin from his hair, letting his hair flow down like a river after a damn burst. He set it down on his folded gi.

Jack walked through an alleyway, holding his gi and wooden sandals in his arms, unsure of what to do with them.

A voice popped out.

"Hello."

Jack turned around. Nothing.

"Show yourself!"

"I already am." It said. The voice sounded familiar to Jack. But where did it come from? Jack was confused.

"Where are you?!" He shouted.

"Right here."

Jack kept turning, but he didn't see anything.

"And there, and there, and there." The voice continued.

Jack began running, his boots splashing against the puddles on the floor.

"I'm everywhere," Jack stopped, frozen in fear. He had finally figured it out. He knew who the voice was. He looked down and saw his reflection in the puddle. It smiled at him.

"I'm you." The reflection said. Jack noticed that his reflection was more bluish in tone, and still wore his gi.

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

"I want out. You don't listen to me, and I've had enough of it," the reflection replied. "You don't have to be stuck here for eternity."

"What do you mean?" Jacked asked.

"You know what I mean, we are one and the same!"

In fact, Jack did know what it meant. He just didn't want to accept it, for this alternative was a far more complicated matter to him than anything else. He didn't want to face death. Not just yet. Tears swelled in his eyes, streamed down his cheek, and landed into the puddle, making ripples.

"You can end it all right now. Join your family and your friends! There is nothing for you here!"

"But there is." Jack said. He wiped away his tears, and looked up, determined expression on his face. Jack began walking.

"But there is…."

He dumped his gi, sandals, and the pin into a trash can. He walked away, no regret to be found in his eyes.

Samurai Jack…

…was no more.


	4. IV

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

IV

"I'm sorry, but I don't see any problem with you."

Jack had found a doctor to see if he was losing his mind. A person he talked to said the doctor had the power to heal anything. He saw what the medics back at home could do, so he decided he could give it a try, and maybe this doctor could solve his problem.

He was clearly wrong.

"But, I've been seeing things lately. Things I do not want to see," He tried to explain.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." The doctor replied. He walked over to Jack, holding some pills in his hand.

"Look, I'm not supposed to do this, if this is a mild hallucination, this might help, Mister…"

The doctor looked at the clipboard hanging on the wall.

"…Mako?"

"Yes." Jack replied.

* * *

Jack had been living under a fake identity for a couple of days.

Story went: After Jack had thrown away his clothes and gave up his old life, he ran into Rothchild, a bipedal dog with a Posh personality. Rothchild was at a booth in a cantina when Jack came in.

"Jack, old sport! You are looking bright and dandy as ever!"

Jack was not bright and dandy. Jack just sat down.

"Jack, is there something wrong?"

Jack didn't have time for games. With one stare from Jack, Rothchild could see there was something seriously wrong. Thinking quickly, he decided to go with the Samurai, and head straight down to business.

"To what do I owe the favor, old friend?"

Jack looked at him dead in the eye, and said, "I need a new identity."

"For what, exactly?"

"To lay low."

Rothchild was confused. "A new identity would be pointless, don't you think? You are among the final humans to walk on this very earth. Surely, you would realize that your face is unique among this crowd of savage creatures."

He was right. Jack's face was everywhere on wanted posters, and he was the only person with that face. He was recognizable almost everywhere, something Jack had grown accustomed to, and something Rothchild took note of.

"Plus, I see you are still in one piece, are you not? Which means you already know how to disappear. Which means this is about more than your fight with Aku."

Jack sighed. He'd been caught, red handed. Out of all the years of experience Jack had gained on is travels, he still couldn't lie to save his life.

Jack looked down, defeated. "I'm beginning to see things. Things other people cannot. It tells me things I do not want to hear. Yet, they are things I know, things I've experienced. I've hurt more than I have saved. I just…want it all to end."

Rothchild was horrified at his friend's sudden revelation. It seems Aku's influences stretch out to even the most heroic of people. When he first met Jack, he was full of hope, determined to get back, willing to find every single way imaginable. Now, more than 45 years later, he seemed to have lost all of that, hope replaced by terror. Determination replaced by desperation. Whatever happened to Jack, it couldn't have been pretty.

"I'll go make a phone call." Rothchild said. "Just…wait here." He then left.

Hours later, Rothchild came back with a small booklet. Ha handed it to Jack.

"Here, your new name is Mako. Be sure to see a doctor, because whatever you are experiencing…it isn't normal."

So he did.

* * *

"Nobody can help you."

Jack, turned around, looking surprised up until he realized who was talking. He turned back to walking home, talking with the voice along the way.

"Leave me alone." He said.

"And miss all the fun? You don't want to be left alone. You need someone who will be there for you, someone you can speak to."

"And do you think talking to myself is the solution?"

"It isn't perfect, but I know you better than you know you."

Jack shut his eyes. He didn't want to admit that the voice was right. He was always right, all the time.

"Please, just go."

"I'll be here if you need me" the voice said. Jack felt a tingle in his head. Scratching it, he arrived at his home.

The homeless facilities in Aku City were nothing short of disgusting. Plastics and vomit lay on the floor of the lobby, untouched. Stains of blood could be seen in almost every room and hallway. Some people were lucky to get a mattress in their bedroom, and that was if they were lucky enough to have a bed at all. Everything looked gray and dreary, like some sort of prison.

Jack checked in with the person behind the desk. He then proceeded to walk the hallways, which were filled with different alien species, ex-convicts, and people close to dying. Entering his room, he encountered someone chewing on his sheath. The same sheath that kept his sword, and the same sheath he decided to keep.

"Please stop." Jack asked nicely. He continued gnawing.

"Stop!" Nothing.

"I SAID STOP!" Jack screamed out.

The man got scared, dropped the sheath, and scurried to a corner, where he curled up and rocked back and forth.

Jack sighed. He didn't mean to scare him off. He took his sheath, sat on the floor, and cleaned it of the saliva that apparently stuck itself to the hard leather. Looking over, he could see that the man had fallen asleep right there in the corner.

Jack laid down on the floor, and began thinking. Of his past life as Samurai Jack, of his new life as Mako. He felt around his face, and noticed stubble began growing on his chin. He wasn't going to bother with it. Falling asleep, he had a dream of a woman he had never met. He simply shrugged it off.

* * *

Tatsu looked at Meredith, who was training. At only an early age, she had already learned several different forms of martial arts. Eleanora couldn't have been prouder of her daughter. After a session of training, Eleanora gave her daughter a break so she could go check on the progress of the fortress.

Tatsu said, "I've noticed your recent training, young one." It took Meredith completely by surprise.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Tatsu, and I've trained under Aku for years."

Meredith was in awe. "Oh, you know the Lord?"

"Of course, I do. I've learned many things on my travels."

"What kind of things?"

"Things some people consider…unnatural."

That sent a shiver down Meredith's spine. She knew what this meant.

"Is it possible to learn these…things?"

"Not from your mother," Tatsu replied. This was the moment Tatsu was waiting for. She could go for the kill now, and gain a new apprentice. "You can join me now, and learn the way of Aku. The way it was meant to be learned."

Meredith looked back at her mother. She hesitated for a while, as this decision might change the course of her life. Should she take it, she could become an even better member of the group, and maybe even its leader.

She turned back to Tatsu and nodded.

"Good. I will begin your training at once."

Meredith stretched her hand out and said happily, "My name is Meredith!"

Tatsu was not amused.

"From now on, I shall call you Pureisuto. You shall cleanse your old life, because this new life will be full of Aku."

Meredith straightened out, "Understood!"

Tatsu was filled with a strange power. This girl was to become the fiercest warrior ever, to kill and destroy Samurai Jack. That thought made her smile, but then she remembered Eleanora, and how she'd protect the girl.

Accommodations had to be made.


	5. V

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

V

"The strongest stuff you have"

The bartender left to go get what Jack requested. He was in a bar, drinking his life away. Years have passed since he put down his gi. A beard now occupied whatever space was left on his chin. A gun rest in a holster strapped to Jack's shoulder. He looked like any other inhabitant of the Aku City underground.

The bartender came back with a good pint of rum. Jack chugged it down, put the cup down, gently, and demanded more. The bartender complied.

Jack looked around, and just saw other people. There was no sign of Mad Jack anywhere. Ever since he slowly declined to alcoholism, he hasn't seen Mad Jack. Maybe the alcohol? Or Mad Jack just didn't want to speak with him? Either way, Jack didn't care. He simply kept drinking rum.

After being satisfied, he went to his home at the shelter. Even after years, it was still in the same state of disrepair. Jack looked around his room. He lived with a crazy old man, who at this point was trying to claw his way through the cement wall. He laid down on the floor, and after a while, dozed off.

"You…you have failed."

Jack opened his eyes, completely taken aback by the new voice. This wasn't Mad Jack. This was something else entirely. The voice sounded familiar, yet much, much older than he. It had a certain bass to it that rang through Jack's ears. Jack looked around, and saw nothing but the old man, snoring away while his fingers bled. _Nothing out of the ordinary_ , Jack thought to himself. He shrugged it off, and went back to sleep.

"You have failed your purpose, and now it is time for you to pay."

Jack opened his eyes, and he wasn't in his room anymore. A green mist clouded his vision, and fear began boiling up within him. Something was coming.

A figure appeared. It was simply a silhouette, yet Jack felt as if he was familiar. A samurai warrior riding on a horse appeared before Jack, donning a helmet of antlers, glowing eyes, and a black flag with nothing Jack could see. Jack felt nothing more than fear.

The being dismounted the horse, and simply floated over to Jack. Jack tried to back away, but he felt nothing. He had no physical body, and he was forced to confront this demon face to face. Jack tried to put the bravest face he could, but Jack knew it was a charade. It was obvious that the being could see the fear welling up inside Jack.

"You will go to Shi No Iwa. There, you will find me."

It began turning around, but Jack had something to say.

"H-how do I know where to look?" He stammered out.

The being turned its head slightly and replied, "You will know" before turning back and disappearing into the mist with the horse. The mist swirled around Jack, enveloping him in its presence. When the mist cleared, Jack was back in his room. Nothing had happened.

Jack looked over to see some medical workers having a smoke while the old man lay dead on the floor. He knew he couldn't stay. Jack took whatever was left of his belongings and left.

* * *

Pureisuto wasn't a bad name by any means. It meant priestess, and while Meredith didn't know what that meant just yet, she didn't give up on her training. Eleanora taught Meredith how to defend herself. But, over the years, Tatsu trained Pureisuto into becoming a living weapon. With years of intensive training, Pureisuto could sense a squirrel from a few feet away, and kill it without making as so much as a sound. Tatsu was proud of her creation, yet she fought the feeling to show her off. If she were discovered, her plans could go awry, and that was something she didn't have time for.

"Pureisuto. Rise."

Meredith stood up. She was meditating,

"Yes, milady."

"Go back to your mother. She is worried. Make sure you do not confirm her fears." Tatsu commanded.

Meredith nodded, and ran out to a recently completed fortress, one that reached toward the heavens and was to become the future home of Meredith. Looking inside, she was in awe of the expert handiwork within the halls, the rooms, and everything else. She reached a center room where her mother was standing in front of an empty lot. Eleanora turned around and was surprised to see her own daughter stand before her.

"What do you think of this?" She asked.

"It's fine."

"Is something the matter?"

"No."

"Please tell me what's going on."

"Nothing. I have my own errands to attend to."

Meredith began to leave, but Eleanora took her arm.

"Stop! Ever since we began building this castle, you've been ignoring me more and more. Please, tell me what's going on."

"No."

Meredith turned around to leave. Eleanora began to suspect. Something just didn't add up with that girl. And Eleanora wanted to find out what.

* * *

Jack was walking out of the city when he heard a loud, deafening noise. The sound of engine pistons rotating at 11,000 rpm. There was no mistaking this was old technology. But the sound of the explosions just hurt his ears. Each explosion tore at his eardrums. He looked around to see where the sound was coming from, but nothing seemed to be in sight. He seemed stumped, until looking at the horizon, he found the source.

A huge robotic hog was riding on a motorbike. Looking like the average biker, it tore up the road, leaving destruction in its wake. Jack simply stared on, mesmerized by it. He hadn't an idea such a thing existed. The motorbike simply went on until the hog riding it spotted Jack, simply staring. He pulled the motorcycle to a complete stop, yet Jack could still hear the smaller explosions that were energizing the bike, keeping it on. The hog dismounted the motorbike, and with his small little legs, walked over to Jack.

"DO YOU REALIZE YER IN MAH WAY" He shouted out.

Jack simply stared at him blankly.

"HELLO!? EARTH TO MAN HERE?!"

Jack simply tilted his head.

The hog was getting impatient. He reached for his belt and took out a sledgehammer. Jack, unfazed, stared.

"GET! OUTTA! MAH! WAY!" The hog shouted as picked up the sledgehammer and dropped it down on Jack.

It would've taken a hawk to see that Jack had reacted. Grabbing the hammer, he quickly pried it away, and swung it as hard as he could. The sledgehammer went right through the hog, spraying metal and wires across the ground. Whatever was left of the hog, simply fell to the ground.

But this had more of an effect on Jack than the hog. The feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins was a feeling he had not had in a long time. Jack breathed in, and for the first time in a decade, Jack smiled. Opening his eyes, he finally realized what he had to do. Jack ran down the road and stopped before he turned back, looking at the motorcycle.

He couldn't just leave it…

* * *

Unbeknownst to everybody, Aku had begun a mass genocide. One planet. Every Tuesday. Every week. He would call upon every single one of his minions to simply devastate the planet. Nobody could stop him this time, as the Samurai was basically in shambles at this point, and nobody has seen or heard him since his own victory on top of the mountain. He was the golden boy.

The phone began ranging, and Aku picked it up, humming to himself.

"Aku residency, Destroyer of Worlds speaking."

He was in a good mood, and nothing could stop that.

Except what the other line said.

"WHAT! What do you mean, 'You were defeated!?' Are you so pathetic that aliens have defeated the meanest of my henchmen!?"

The other line just kept speaking, which just made Aku angrier.

"Well, get rid of their hope! Samurai Jack is no more, so I want you to go in there with everything you've got! YOU GOT THAT?!"

Smashing the phone down, Aku slouched in his seat. Sure, Samurai Jack was gone, but his influence lives on in a lot of people. And as Aku learned, that was a lot more dangerous than one would realize.

* * *

Eleanora sat there, wondering about what was happening to her daughter. Over the years, she had connected so much with her, and now, she began becoming distant, as if having an agenda away from her. She took a shot of whisky, and refilled the cup. She kept on wondering. Was there something wrong with Meredith? Was it herself? Maybe she was going crazy. Maybe it's just her being a defensive mother and-

Eleanora pulled out her sword and pointed it at the shadow.

"Woah! Didn't realize you were on edge."

The shadow revealed itself to be Tatsu. She had made it seem as if Tatsu was only harmless, and Eleanora was overreacting. So, she put down her sword.

"I apologize. I do worry about Meredith."

Tatsu scoffed. "It is nothing to worry yourself with, my dear. Aku is with her. She bears a great power that might switch the balances."

"The samurai is dead," Eleanora replied. "I'm only worried about her well-being now."

"Do not be too sure of that. Unless we can confirm it ourselves, the Samurai should still be considered alive and running."

"Yes. You're right. Do you want me to get you a drink?" Eleanora offered. Tatsu accepted, and Eleanora left to go get another cup. While she did, Tatsu placed a small capsule into the cup that Eleanora drank off of. She smiled as it dissolved into the drink.

As Tatsu left, she could hear Eleanora take another shot. She suspected too much, and now she must go. Tatsu smiled.

 _Tomorrow shall be an interesting day_ , she thought.


	6. VI

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

VI

The sound of motorcycle penetrated the landscape. With each passing second, it tore through the air, leaving a wake of noise which deafened Jack's thoughts. He liked it, as he couldn't think about whatever he was thinking about. However, something else concerned him.

 _Who was that_ , he thought, thinking of the apparition he saw in his dream. Should he fear its presence, because that was already what he did. Or should he be glad of its existence? Things were becoming more confusing. But Jack's thoughts kept getting interrupted by the sound of the engine, much to his amusement.

He didn't know why, but he had a sudden urge to stop. Looking around, he saw nothing more than a couple of boulders, a forest beside them, and between it all, a lovely grassy plain stretching out to the horizon.

But Jack knew there was something more to this place, something that grabbed his interest. He turned off the motorcycle and began walking around, investigating the rocks. As it turns out, there was a small crevice only big enough for Jack to fit through. Squeezing his way into a small cavern, Jack found a torch and lit it, only to be greeted with the beautiful ruins of whatever civilization came before. He traveled through the cavern, until he saw a giant room with nothing but a small little Japanese-style hut strewn in the middle of it all. Mist covered the floor, the same mist Jack encountered on his dream. He could feel a bit afraid of what was before him, but he crushed it down. Taking a big gulp, he entered the room, and walked toward the hut.

Inside, he saw a small room, filled to the edges with candles. _I have a bad feeling about this_ , he thought to himself. His fears were confirmed true when the same shadowy figure appeared before Jack.

"Do you know who I am?" uttered the being.

"N-no. Who are you?"

"I am the result of your failure. I am your Omen."

A candle lifted by itself, and showed Jack the face of the being. Jack was completely aghast. The face was not unfamiliar. In fact, the face was Jack's own. Scars covered every inch of the face, and one eye had no pupil. The large beard covered whatever was left untouched by the scars.

"You have failed to regain your honor. You've failed your purpose. You never saved them."

Jack fell onto his knees. How could such a thing happen? What did he do wrong? What was going to happen to him?

The room began spinning, and all-around Jack, he could see the suffering of his father, his mother, everybody he knew and loved, and worse, it was all happening at the same time. He felt feelings of despair he never felt before. How foolish of him to even think there ever was hope. How could he, a human being, ever hope to go back to the past in a future where there is none? They were gone, he was here, suffering as punishment for abandoning them.

"STOP!"

The faces of the different people Jack knew appeared one-by-one, speaking to him.

"You have forgotten us!"

"You have abandoned us!"

"You were our only hope!"

"You were supposed to save us!"

"What happened?"

Samurai clenched his hair in his fists. _No_ , he thought. _This cannot be true. This cannot be real._

The Omen read him like a book.

"These people are very real. Your failure is real."

Jack screamed out. He couldn't take it anymore. He lunged at The Omen, punching him as hard as he could. None of them ever got past the armor.

The Omen grabbed Jack by the throat and picked him up. Jack, trying to reach for every breath of air, felt defeated.

"I shall give you time. But remember, every step you take. Every second that passes. Every person you save. You will know who I am."

The Omen dropped Jack, who at this point was afraid for his life. Jack scurried out, tail between his legs. It was the scariest moment in his life, yet he fought much bigger, stronger things. Why was this one different?

Jack didn't seem to care. He ran out, got on his motorcycle, and cleared out.

* * *

It was going to be a glorious day. The construction was completely finished, everything was decorated in an organized matter, and now the feast was about to begin. Eleanora began with a toast.

"Today, we celebrate an important victory for us! We are on the brink of a breakthrough. With this place as our new base of operations, we will be unstoppable!"

Everybody cheered.

Eleanora took a shot of whisky.

"Now, we dine for a- "

She completely stopped, clenching her heart while her breathing became heavy and labored. Meredith rushed by her side and held her in her arms.

"Mother, are you okay?" she asked.

Eleanora gasped for air, but even though she was worrying Meredith, she didn't want to.

"I'm fine…it's just…just…"

She collapsed onto the floor, and just stopped breathing.

It all happened so suddenly. Her death was not a long one, as the poison coursed through her veins like a raging wildfire. Now, it had reached her brain, which ceased to function.

Meredith, however, suffered a greater deal. She was washed with guilt over her mother. How she grew distant because of her training with Tatsu. Her lashing out at her mother. How ironic that only now she understood the actions of her mother, and why.

"Mother? Mother…"

She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. Instead, she felt an anger boiling inside her, an anger she could not contain.

 _Aku is everything_ …

She was a bit surprised by the new voice within her head, but she listened to it carefully.

 _Aku IS everything_.

For one bit, she couldn't believe it. Her soul had been broken, her heart ripped from her chest.

For one bit.

"Aku is everything…"

She kept whispering those words until she got louder.

"Aku is everything."

She got up, leaving her mother on the ground, fists clenched in anger. She kept getting louder.

"Aku is everything!"

She went to the top of her lungs, to people who were almost horrified at what was unfolding before them.

Meredith was no more. She died at the hands of what she believed was Jack's doing. This couldn't be anyone here. It had to be Jack. Jack killed Eleanor. Jack was the evil one, one to be eradicated from this Earth. One that was the ultimate deceiver and would stop at nothing to obtain what he wants. Oh, she was angry. There couldn't be any other way to describe it. Furious would be an understatement. Meredith was lost, replaced by the person Tatsu trained, Pureisuto. Yes, this was to be her new name. Her new identity under One Aku.

"AKU IS EVERYTHING!"

With every repetition, she believed it more and more.

"AKU IS EVERYTHING!"

"AKU IS EVERYTHING!"

And at that point…

Aku became everything.


	7. VII

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

VII

"Is there anything to do?"

Aku was bored. There really wasn't much to do. There was no looking into his mirror in amusement anymore, no calling in hitmen, no actual shapeshifting needed. Samurai Jack was gone, and because looking for him and stopping him took most of his time, he forgot how boring it was to actually lead a galactic empire.

He sighed and walked around his room.

 _Nothing to do, nothing to do. Might as well destroy a planet_ , he thought.

He went to a giant telescope and looked into it. He then recited a small poem to himself.

 _"_ _Eeny, meeny, miny, moe._

 _Catch a Samurai by the toe._

 _If he hollers let him go._

 _Eeny, meeny, miny, moe._

 _When I see you're on the Samurai's side,_

 _I'll surely find out where you hide,_

 _So there's the door and when I count four,_

 _Then out._

 _Goes._

 _You."_

He activated his eye lasers, and shot out at a random planet, shooting them through the telescope. It sent a concentrated beam that hit the planet, and utterly destroyed it, turning what was once a huge and giant planet full of life into nothing by rocks and ash. Aku felt the life in there scream out in unison. Then the life in there just disappeared.

Aku smiled. _That felt good_ , he thought. _Let's do it again_. He looked back into his telescope and recited the poem again.

* * *

Jack ripped through the landscape on his motorcycle, not caring where he was, not caring what would happen to him. He just wanted to get away from the Omen.

He stopped at a canyon, and looked over to the other side. _This, I can make_ , he though. He moved his motorcycle back with him, to get a running start. Before he twisted the ignition on, however, he looked up from what he was doing, and saw a black sky move towards him. Green mist populated the floor as the Omen popped into view. He was across the canyon, looking at Jack.

Jack closed his eyes, but only saw images of his father suffering. His mother. His family. Opening them, everything went back to normal.

He decided against jumping, and turned his motorcycle around, driving towards the forest.

* * *

After destroying exactly 7 planets and driving 2 species out of existence, Aku was satisfied. He knew this was only a temporary solution, as it was better to enslave a species than to destroy them, but killing had put him out of his malaise. So for now, he was satisfied. He sat down in his throne, and waited. Waited for what? Nothing. He just sat there, a smug grin on his face.

"Master, it appears as if you have a guest!"

The announcer surprised Aku. He wasn't expecting guests at this time. So who was this surprise?

He lifted himself from his throne room into the grand hall. There was nothing more than a single person in what he assumed was a costume. This person was dressed in complete black robes and clothes. Six horns stuck out of the head in an Aku sort of fashion. A stone-faced mask covered the face, completely making this person anonymous. Aku squinted at the person.

"What is it you need?"

The person looked up at Aku and lifted her arms.

"My Lord Aku, my name is Tatsu. I have come here from a group who realizes your true power and wishes to worship you as such. Should you choose to come with me, I can show you who we are, and who we stand with. We even can help you confirm the death of the Samurai."

 _Ugh, the Samurai_ , Aku thought. _Why did she have to bring him up?_

Tatsu could see Aku was upset. "My apologies, my lord. I meant no such disrespect. Should we join you, we can a powerful ally against any of your enemies!"

"That is pretty tempting." Aku replied. "Okay!" He shot up into the air, one arm taking Tatsu, and they went to the fortress of One Aku.

* * *

When they arrived, the entire group was already there, clad in the same uniform. Everyone circled around their new master, as they got onto their knees and began to worship.

"Oh, this is a delightful surprise!" Aku said. He let go of Tatsu, who walked over to Pureisuto.

"Once again, I am Tatsu, the High Priestess of One Aku. We are here to obey your every command, with only one reward in mind."

"And what's that?" Aku asked.

"Your essence. We wish to extract your essence so that we may worship it. We shall keep it as a relic."

Aku began stroking his beard.

"Is that so? Hmmm."

He thought for a bit while everyone waited for an answer.

Tatsu might've gotten a bit impatient.

"We have our own assassin, you know."

Pureisuto stood there, motionless. Saying nothing. Whatever was left of Meredith, was gone.

"Is that so? Then you must prove yourself!" Aku said. "You must battle my minions, and should you kill them all, I will accept you."

"Yes, My Lord." Pureisuto replied.

"Good. Then let's get this over with."

Tatsu smiled. This would be the day of reckoning.

* * *

At a small arena, Pureisuto prepared herself. She had nothing but her fists and wits, so she'd had to rely on weapons of whatever Aku threw at her. So, before the battle, she bathed herself within the molten darkness below the fortress, something that was assumed was the remains of Aku's inhabitance. The darkness grafted to her skin, and a feeling of pain she never knew before washed over her. But she didn't scream. She kept going, until her entire body was nothing but hardened darkness.

She looked over her shoulder at the viewing box, where Aku and Tatsu were sitting. Aku had shrunken himself to accommodate the size. Everyone else was sitting in the stands, awaiting the event that would soon occur. Pureisuto took off her robes, and unveiled her body suit. In her face, held the mask that became the uniform. Her headdress, the same six horns.

She was ready.

The first of many warriors came in. Beetle droids. Pureisuto made quick work of them, fists flying into the metal, puncturing the shell. Grabbing their internals, she pulled them out, putting them out of commission.

Aku wasn't impressed. He sent warrior after warrior, and every time she would destroy them. She took a battle axe out of the hands of one warrior and beheaded him. She was swallowed by another, but ripped her way out. She was unstoppable.

Then came a real test. A giant robot stood way over her, the shadow of even only his foot enveloping her. She already knew what she had to do.

Taking the swords off a fallen warrior, she jumped and scraped the knee caps, digging into the inside of the giant. She used the swords has hooks, pulling them out and puncturing the metal again, each time a little bit higher. She kept going, despite him swinging his arms at her, and reached the face, where she skewered the cameras that let the robot see. Blinded, it fell back, and she took the sword and ran along his center, dragging the sword along. Once she made it to the end, she jumped off, and the robot exploded into millions of little pieces. The shockwave almost put her out of balance, but Tatsu, being on the edge of the box during the whole battle, fell into the arena.

"Excellent! Well done! You have proved yourself worthy of being an assassin, but I have something better for you."

Pureisuto looked at Tatsu, who was beginning to get up.

"End her," Aku began, "and take her place as the High Priestess of this cult."

Tatsu was aghast at the statement he gave. "WHAT! I did all this for you. You need me!"

"No, my friend." Aku replied. "I don't need you. You need me!"

As Tatsu was begging Aku for her life, Pureisuto dropped her swords, and took a dagger she had taken. With a black and blade, it would be the knife to take her own mentor's life.

Tatsu stopped trying to plead to Aku, and instead turned to Pureisuto.

"Please, keep me alive. I will show you anything you want. We must keep-"

The dagger plunged into Tatsu's throat. It went right through the neck and struck the nerves that connected her brain to her body. She collapsed immediately, and in seconds, she was dead.

Pureisuto took the dagger, and decided that she would keep it. Aku was very amused.

"Huh. I didn't actually think you would do that. Excellent!"

Pureisuto looked up at Aku. He was beaming.

"Now, you will build a statue in my likeness. Right where I first arrived here. Then, I will give you the essence you so desire."

Pureisuto nodded, and looked over at her new followers.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!"

They all scurried out, and went straight to work.

Looking back, she saw that Aku had disappeared. But Pureisuto didn't smile.

She never smiled.


	8. VIII

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

VIII

As Jack kept going, he began seeing more and more of the apparitions. Visions of the Omen, of his family, and of his failure just kept appearing around him. He feared them all, and ran, but they always kept coming, following him wherever he went.

Months passed, and he was sick of it all. Driving up a forest, he tried to not think of what he was considering, but this time, the noise couldn't drown out his thoughts.

 _Are you considering it?_ Jack thought.

 _I…don't know._

 _You should. Your time is up. Our work here is done._

 _But...b-but I can't._

 _You are being weak. You must be strong enough to face your family and atone for your sins._

Jack didn't like the sound of that. He revved the motors until they were no quieter than a heavy metal concert. Tearing across the landscape, he saw it again. Up on some hills, his family. His father, the Emperor, was looking at him, disappointment in his eyes. His mother, the Empress, was looking down in sorrow. Jack glanced for a while, but he turned back and kept going. He could feel the fear in his chest, but he tried to ignore it. But again, he saw it. The same thing, the Emperor and the Empress. This time, in a nearby forest. He glanced one more time, and kept going through the forest, through the trees, through the now-piling snow.

"Jack!"

It was his Mother. Jack stopped the motorcycle almost immediately. He couldn't believe his ears. This was his mother that was speaking to him.

"Jack, are you there?"

He ran to the source, trying to find her. He dug through the snow with his hands, nearly clawed his way into trees, all to find her. Eventually he did, but not in the way he imagined.

He found a skeleton in monk robes. The same robes he found her in when he first found her in the mountains of China. He got on his knees and wept, but the skeleton spoke.

"Why, Jack?"

He looked up, aghast that the skeleton was speaking to him. He dreaded the very thought.

"You abandoned us. You have forsaken us."

"NO, MOTHER, NO! I WILL SAVE YOU!" Jack shouted.

"You have failed us, Jack…"

The skeleton faded, and Jack tried to dig through the snow, hoping he could see the skeleton once more.

"Nooo! NO! NOOO!"

Jack was overcome with emotions. He couldn't hold back tears. Shutting his eyes, he thought for an escape. For a way out. And at that moment, he thought of what to do. He went back to his motorcycle, and rode away into the sunset.

* * *

Pureisuto was an even stricter Priestess than Tatsu. Being trained to kill, everyone began learning to use weapons. They also began accepting beings of other species, all of which became part of the new One Aku. The reforms were welcome, but they didn't come without consequence. While Tatsu expected to be royally treated, Pureisuto stuck to being a taskmaster. Ordering people to do things even they weren't proud to do. But one thing they respected about her was that she never thought selfishly. Always thinking of the group and the goal, she kept training new assassins and developing new plans on finding the samurai.

But today wasn't a day for training. It was a day of worship. They have recently completed the statue of Aku in the Main Hall. They also got into contact with him, and now they were expecting him to arrive. They all chanted until a sharp light burst within the room. There, Aku appeared.

He took a good look at the recently completed statue.

"Not bad," He noted. Everyone began chanting.

"Yes, an attractive replica," he continued. "But it pales to the original. HERE!"

Aku stretched out his hand over to a large goblet, and began letting his essence go.

"Worship me! One AKU!"

They all chanted until he left.

Later that day, a meeting was held in the main hall where the goblet was. Everyone circled the goblet, when Pureisuto grabbed it.

"I know Tatsu wished to worship this piece, but to keep it would be a waste."

Many of the people agreed.

"That is why I will consume this. And I will obtain the powers from which it has come from!"

Everyone gasped. This woman wished to consume it? Such blasphemy would've been met with an axe to the throat.

But Pureisuto was no ordinary woman. She believed that should she get pregnant, the children would inherit the same abilities, and become just like her, only more powerful.

Pureisuto took the goblet and took her mask away, her face obscured by the shadows. She took a long drink, and the other people watched as Pureisuto felt a surge of unimaginable power wash over her. She believed she had the power to change history. No longer would the samurai walk this planet, for he had now a new adversary, something he would never expect.

* * *

Jack arrived at a cliff overlooking an entire ravaged field occupied by only one single willow tree. He instantly felt sad just looking at it; it reminded him of his failure to fulfill his destiny. Walking over to the edge, he instantly felt a sense of relief. Such feelings are to be felt when you have accomplished something. Instead, he destroyed everything he once knew, and now he was going to destroy himself.

His feet reached the edge. The tip of his boots could feel the open air under them.

Jack closed his eyes. _This is it_ , he thought. No one could stop him here, no one could see him here, and no one could save him here. He took a deep breath in and tried to take a step forward…

…and stopped.

He couldn't. He just couldn't.

He pulled back at the very last moment. He couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. His failure was real, yes, but so was his will to live. It was just too painful to even do it.

He tried again, this time taking a running start off the cliff. However, he stopped at the edge, leaning forward, flailing as to not fall in.

Numerous attempts were made. He kept trying to jump off the cliff, all unsuccessful. Each time he failed, he grew increasingly frustrated. After a bit, he let out all his steam on the motorcycle, kicking it. It hurt his toe a little.

He threw a rock at the motorcycle, but missed.

He grabbed the motorcycle and banged his head against it, but only bruised his head.

Each time, he just grew more frustrated, and began taking it out on the environment around him. But he couldn't make a dent, as each time he tried something, he failed.

At one point, he threw a rock at a tree, and it bounced, hitting his head, and knocking him out.

He experienced various dreams, ranging from the Omen to his memories with his family and how it was all destroyed when Aku took over. He even dreamed of the Omen's vision of his parents being disappointed in Jack, something Jack would've never liked.

However, they kept coming. In fact, they kept intensifying into various forms, and soon, they got violent. Showing the deaths of Jack's parents and everyone he knew. Jack wanted to wake up, to end it all. But something stood out. Something different.

A woman in her early 20s, with sharp hair and a dress made of…leaves? He didn't know who she was, or how she mattered. All he knew was that she looked…pure. Darkness didn't look over her. She had a threatening smile, yet she also looked delicate.

Jack woke up, still on the ground from that hit he took. Looking around, nothing seemed to have changed.

Except for him.

He once again as stood upon the edge of the cliff, but this time, instead of trying to jump off, he sat down, legs hanging over the edge. He was comfortable for a while, contemplating his own existence, until a voice surprised him.

"Welcome back."

He looked to his side as saw Mad Jack had returned. He sat upon the cliff, as Jack was. Jack looked back to the view, where the sun began to set behind the willow tree.

"I am afraid." He said.

"Afraid of what? Nothing." Mad Jack replied.

"That's what I was afraid of."

They both looked on as the sun set.


	9. IX

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

IX

Jack spent months wandering around aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't end his own life, as he valued it too much. No, he needed another way to get rid of himself. Something less...violent.

He drove his motorcycle until it ran out of gasoline. Sighing, he got out a spare gallon to refill it. Everything was going fine.

As Jack was finishing, he heard a slight sound of leaves. Looking up, he saw his father, looking at him. Jack, completely taken by surprise, stumbled back, and gasoline sprayed everywhere.

"Why, my son? Why have you forsaken us?" The apparition asked. There was worry in his voice, which just made Jack even more afraid.

"No! I haven't forgotten!" He shouted.

"But you have! And now you must pay the price!"

Jack tried to turn on motorcycle, but something went wrong, and a spark went flying. Jack was eventually able to turn on the motorcycle, but not before the spark reached land, combusting the gasoline and starting a wildfire.

Jack heard, "Do not forget where you came from!" from over his shoulder.

He just kept going.

* * *

In the grand hall of the fortress of One Aku, something big was happening. The essence Pureisuto consumed impregnated her, and while they weren't sure what was going to happen, Pureisuto was quick to dismiss the cult's worries.

"I will make new servants of Aku if it's the last thing I do!" she shouted.

Removing her headdress and mask, she let the other members take care of her. One of them was on the gong, ready to strike whenever a new life was born. The entire cult was in the grand hall, chanting for the children's health. A weak servant of Aku was not a servant at all, but a nuisance. A large stone table was placed in the middle, right in front of the statue of Aku. There, each child would be placed as an offering to Aku. Some people were opposed to the idea, but they couldn't do anything, as it was too late to back out now. Everything was set, and Pureisuto's water broke. It was time.

As a baby came out, the gong was struck. Everyone counted them in hopes of going higher.

 _1…_

 _2…_

 _3…_

Pureisuto was screaming out in pain. Every baby that came out came as a relief, but it wouldn't be until the last one when she would be relieved completely of her pain. Each baby was placed in the stone table, crying out in unison. As the last baby was born, most of the others calmed down.

Seven children in total.

All female.

Several members put Pureisuto's uniform back on and she simply walked to the statue.

"Seven daughters to do your bidding, my master!" She declared. "They will succeed where so many others have failed! We will find favor in your glory!"

Everyone chanted.

The seven Daughters of Aku were here.

* * *

Jack decided to rest in a nearby village. He was tired, and not just from running all the time. He was getting sick of his visions of his family and the Omen. Not to mention Mad Jack constantly taunting him.

As he walked through the village, he noticed people were staring at him. This usually wouldn't make him uneasy, but now, as he walked around, he began feeling unsure of himself. As if he was being watched by someone other than the village people. Everyone was quiet, and that just added to the effect of something being seriously wrong.

Sure enough, a giant robot appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Samurai Jack! You have committed crimes against Aku! Prepare to feel the wrath of justice!"

Fists began flying as Jack swerved left and right to dodge any attack the robot had for him. Jack returned with a punch, but the robot took it very well, as Jack's fists were no match for cast iron. With one swing, Jack was on the floor, and the whole village watched as Jack began getting pummeled by the robot oppressor.

Jack was almost at the point of giving up where he heard a voice.

"You have forgotten us!"

"When were you going to focus?!"

"You could have saved us!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jack screamed out. Feeling a new sense of strength, Jack braced himself for subsequent hits. As the robot was about to deliver the final blow, Jack caught the fist mid-air, and swung it around him, sending the robot to the floor. Jack leapt atop the robot, arm still his hands. He pulled hard, disconnecting the arm from its rotors and electronics and eventually breaking it off. He lifted it above his head, and he swung down hard onto the head of the robot. He kept swinging it back and forth until the robot was no longer functioning, and even after that.

"I! WILL! NOT! FAIL!" He kept shouting as he kept swinging it. When he was finished, the robot's head was nothing more than pieces of silicon and metal scattered across the floor. Panting, Jack rose, and looked around. Sure, he had saved the village, but everyone was looking on in fear of Jack, not in respect. Jack dropped the arm, which clanged onto the body, breaking the silence. People began whispering to each other, in a way Jack did not appreciate. He got off the robot and began his way back to the motorcycle. Before he mounted, however, an old lady popped up.

"I see you are having trouble with your emotions." She chimed.

"W-what! H-h-how. What?" Jack was confused. It was not like anybody to open a conversation with such a line.

"I can help you."

After getting his bearings back, Jack sighed and simply said, "Ok."

* * *

At the old lady's house, she made tea for Jack. She made conversation as she did so.

"So, Jack…anything bothering you?"

"No." Jack replied, knowing full well she knew it was a lie.

"You are seeing things, are you? Things you might not want to…see?"

Jack was taken aback by the sudden statement. "Yes…how did you-"

"I always know." She replied. "Do not worry. I can help you. Please. Come."

Jack followed her to the cellar. Once down there, the lady pulled a switch, and showed off her gift to Jack. An entire suit of armor. From head to toe, segmented armor protecting Jack from almost any attack.

Putting it on, Jack immediately felt much better, as if the armor had some sort of enhancement to it. It was agile, yet firm. Whatever Jack could do, he could now do better. And the helmet. Ooh, the helmet. The samurai Kabuto fit snug on Jack's head, and for the first time in years, Jack smiled. The old lady also offered weapons like a technologically enhanced trident, and more.

Before Jack left, the old woman handed him a mask. Something Jack would keep for a while. Resembling an angry dragon, it had a sort of anonymity to it. Jack simply looked at her.

"Thank you." He said before departing.

* * *

Aku was smiling. Destroying planets, enslaving entire species, and partying with his employees really gave him the time of his life. He couldn't ask for anything more. Jack was basically dead, as it had been years since anyone saw him. Right now, Aku was focused on bettering his life, and hopefully setting u for the long haul. Setting up puppet leaders and all that.

However, someone did have to come and ruin it.

"Master, you have a guest!" the announcer said.

Gracefully, Aku slid up the walls of the chamber until he got to the room for meet and greets. Aku was in a good mood, and it seemed nothing could break that.

"Welcome to my chamber, what can I do you for?"

"My lord Aku, please forgive me, for I bear very unwelcome news."

Aku was confused. He had the whole universe in the palm of his hand. What could possibly be wrong?

"Well, what is it?"

"The Samurai. He lives!"

"WHAT!" Aku was mortified. The Samurai should have died of old age. "SHOW ME!"

Up on a screen, it showed a chilling vision of Jack. A short beard, no gi, and he looked extremely angry. Aku couldn't believe his eyes. He turned only to find that his guest had disappeared, running before Aku could crush him. Aku turned back to the photo, and with a furious expression on his face, began shouting out orders.

"I WANT EVERY BOUNTY HUNTER IN THE GALAXY HERE!"

"I WANT SAMURAI JACK!"

* * *

Walking toward his motorcycle, Jack again noticed the villagers, all of them, staring. This time, not out of pity, but out of fear. With his new armor, Jack had become dangerous for even his allies.

As he mounted his motorcycle, one kid ran up to him and asked happily,

"Are you Samurai Jack?"

The child expected the answer to be a resounding, "Yes."

But Jack simply looked at the child. Looking at him dead in the eye. Before the smile on the child turned into a more serious expression, Jack simply said,

"No…"

He turned on the motorcycle, and drove away.


	10. X

**_"_** ** _Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, a shapeshifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. We clashed for ages, but eventually, the fool defeated me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku."_**

X

"GO! KILL!"

A girl woke up in the middle of the forest. She remembered her commands to kill the Samurai. Looking out into the wilderness, into the mountains on the distance, she was reminded of the time where she snuck out of training to see the beauty of the world. Of course, she was caught and severely punished for such a thing, but now, she can see it in its full glory, free from her mother's criticism.

It had only been yesterday that she was released from her home in a fortress with one goal, and one goal only: To kill Samurai Jack.

The day started when they went through the classic morning training. Nothing too different from any other day, however, the girl and her sisters were excited. This was the day of the biggest test of their lives. This test would determine if they were fit to be released out into the wilderness, to hunt out, find, and kill the Samurai. They were all sitting at a table when they were all called out one by one.

"Azula."

"Ayana."

"Amako."

"Atsuko."

"Aki."

"Aina."

"Ashi."

One by one, they all went into a chamber, from which they were to be readied. A cult member briefed them on their test.

"You will climb the wall and reach the top. Those who fail will be killed, that should go without saying. Should you succeed, you will be well on your way to achieve your destiny. Any questions?"

Ayana raised her hand. "May we take the weapons?"

"Everything is free for your use."

The member looked out onto the field, taking a glance.

"It's time. GO!"

All the sisters ran out onto the field, and began to scale the wall. Cult members were scattered across the walls, ready to strike and kill when the moment was right. Each of the sisters fought them off, kicking them off the wall. Ashi, however, was more interested in the archer. Running up the wall, she kept avoiding the arrows raining down upon her until she grabbed one in mid-air and shoved it into the head of the archer, instantly killing her. Taking the bow, she began taking shots at other cult members, something the other sisters appreciated.

After a while of scaling the wall, fighting off obstacles, and helping each other out, they finally reached the top. There, they were met with their mother, waiting at the top.

"Your training is complete."

* * *

"Ashi, we must keep moving!"

Taken by surprise, Ashi almost fell back, but caught a tree branch, stabilized herself, and jumped down gracefully, landing on the ground.

"Where are we even going?" She asked.

"Forward." Aki replied.

Aki had established herself as the leader ever since they were children. She was headstrong, and deeply cared for the health of her sisters. She was the among the only of two sisters that did. She took care of Ashi, even against her mother's wishes.

Now, they were in a tricky situation. Without any idea of where the Samurai might be, they'd have to keep traveling until they can find someone who could give them a lead. It was a bother, yes, but to find the Samurai, every measure must be taken to ensure his death.

Ashi prepared herself, and in a moment, they were all running to reach the next destination.

Just outside the walls of a city, two guards were on patrol. They were tasked with protecting the city from outside forces which could threaten their existence.

However, it was almost midnight, and the guards were tired. They began speaking to each other, but the dialect of their species was complicated, as they spoke in a visual language.

One of them asked when their shift was over. The other answered with a single hour timeframe. They both sat down beside the wall, waiting for death to take them. However, something could be seen from a distance. Something strange. The guards got up quickly and squinted, trying to see who could be out at this time of night.

At first, all they saw was a lone robot, walking toward them with such a swagger. But as he got closer, they could see the true image. He was being followed by an army of beetle drones, and they didn't seem like they were trying to attack him. The guards could feel their legs shake as the robot approached them.

"What is up, babe!" The robot opened with.

"State! Your! Business!" One of the guards replied. The robot could tell they were scared, and used it to his advantage.

"Oh nothing. Just trying to find myself Jacko the Wacko. You mind if I take a peek or two?"

"Move. Along. Before. You. Get. Hurt."

"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?"

"I. Swear. We. Will. Use. Force."

"Well, they don't call me Aku's Top Assassin for nothing!"

Within two seconds, the guard were on the floor, bleeding out of a fatal knife wound. Opening the knife up, the robot struck the wall and waited. A high-pitched sound could be heard, bubbling up in power and pitch. After a minute, the wall exploded, and beetle drones flooded into the city, flushing everyone out of their homes. The robot simply walked in after them.

"Oh, ciiiity" He sang out. "I am Scaramouche!"

* * *

Arriving at a small village, the Daughters began splitting up, trying to find a good lead. Some of the people told a story of the time Jack did pass through here, when he was able to help a dragon with his problems to save a village. However, the girls weren't interested. They needed a lead, and they found something that could help. A wanted poster. The girls studied it. An aged yet young face stared back at them. A long beard covered his face, and the hair did the rest. He almost seemed unrecognizable. Keeping it, Aki signaled for them to go.

They did.

* * *

Weeks of traveling led them to a castle with nearby village. Stopping to rest under a bridge, Aki told them all to lay down, and forget their mission for the day.

"However, Ashi will try to talk to the locals. She will see if we can get any intel on the whereabouts of the Samurai."

After talking to the locals, Ashi was able to find an old man with some sort of level of intelligence.

"It seems you are looking for the Samurai, are you not?" He asked.

"Yes, do you know anything?"

"This castle belongs to a powerful clan. One of its founding members is a great friend of the Samurai."

"Do you know him?"

"Nobody knows him. It is rumored he doesn't even have a real name. He is only known by…The Scotsman."

The old man told Ashi of their adventures together, and Ashi looked at the castle. It wouldn't seem too hard to infiltrate it.

"He has a wife and over dozen kids. I'm sure you can use that should you want to look for the Samurai."

Beneath the mask Ashi had, she squinted.

Their search could come to an end.

* * *

"Wake up, Ashi. Did you find anything?"

"She'd be the least amount of awake, we have to give her some time to gather her thoughts."

"We don't have time, we need to find the Samurai NOW!"

Ashi woke up. She was back under the bridge, where they were safe and hidden from view. Ashi told them what the old man told her, and almost immediately, Aki formulated a plan.

"We will reach up to the castle, kidnap the woman, and use her to get the Scot to talk. Atsuko, Amako, both of you get the woman. Ayana, Aina, you sweep the floors for guards. Azula, Ashi, and I will find the Scotsman."

They then set their plan into motion.

* * *

Everything was going well so far. Most of the guards were apprehended, and the floors seemed clear. However, it took more than two sisters to pin down the wife of the Scotsman. She was a fairly large…very large woman with the strength of a bull. It took five sisters to take her down. The other two, Aki and Ashi, needed to locate the Scotsman. According the old man they saw before, he was an elderly male with a minigun for a leg and a wheelchair. They eventually found him, reading a book in the library of the castle.

"How are we gonna get him to follow us?" Aki asked.

"HELP!" they heard from upstairs, and the Scotsman stopped whatever he was doing and rolled himself out.

"Well, there you have it." Ashi said.

They apparently hadn't thought this through, because while they were able to get the wife and the Scotsman, due to their forces being spread so thin by them, they were never able to locate the children.

They did get the wife, though, so that seemed like enough for them. They found an empty room with no decoration but a small window, just about big enough for them to jump out of in case of any emergency. Pinning the woman down, they tied her to a chair, and gagged her.

Since they couldn't go get the children, Aki made the choice to bluff about them. Unfortunately, Atsuko made the mistake of getting rid of the gag.

"Just try to kill me. Yuh don't have the guts." She said.

"Who got rid of her gag?" Amako asked.

The woman turned to Ashi.

"You don't have the guts to kill me now, eh? Don't ya?"

Ashi took out her weapon, a chain-sickle, and began spinning it around.

"Ask me that one more time, I swear."

"Are yuh weak?"

"W-what?"

"Are. Yuh. Weak?"

Ashi put down the chain-sickle, and simply stared on. Those words penetrated her like a knife, and it took her back to training.

* * *

Back when they were in training, jumping around stalactites, Ashi slipped and fell. Before she could fall into the inky-black abyss, however, she caught herself right on the ledge. Atsuko tried to help, but Mother said, "STOP! The weak have no place for Aku."

Mother turned to Ashi, and placed her staff right on the fingers that supported Ashi's weight.

"Are you weak?" She asked. Ashi didn't know what to say. She knew she should've said "No" but the words couldn't come out.

The mother began twisting the stick, moving Ashi's fingers off the ledge.

"Are you weak?!"

Suddenly, a surge of adrenaline swept over Ashi. She couldn't quite handle it herself.

"ARE! YOU! WEAK?!"

"NOOOO" Ashi shouted, and with all her strength, she didn't just lift herself up, she used the hand to push herself up into the air, somersaulted, and landed on the stalactite, continuing with the training.

"Yes, Aku's fire stirs within all of them." The Mother wondered out loud.

* * *

Now, hearing the same words from the Scotsman's wife, she was shocked to her core, she couldn't move, she could just take it.

"Are yuh weak, lass?" The wife said.

"S-stop, please." Was all Ashi could muster.

"Ahh, so yuh are weak. Well, let me tell you, a world of shet will rain down on all a' yuhs. I can see it."

Ashi shut her eyes and simply stood there, taking it.

"You're a weak little trinket, is what you are," The woman continued. "Eventually, the Samurai will find all a' yuhs. And he will kill-"

A knife came out of her chest, and immediately receded back. Atsuko held the blade, saying, "God, that was getting annoying."

Aki was a little bit worried. "Ashi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little shook." Ashi replied.

"That better not last long, we just lost our only leverage." Amako stated. "We have to go."

"Agreed." Aki replied. As everyone began to leave, the Scotsman opened the door, and the first thing his eyes landed on was his dead wife. He just stared at her while Ashi stood there, in the dark, unnoticed. She tried sneaking out, but the Scotsman saw movement. Depression turning to anger, he shouted out, "I WILL GET YOU!"

* * *

The Scotsman was devastated by what he saw. His own wife sat in a chair covered in her own blood. Her body was limp, leaning forward, suspended only by her restraints. The assassins had left, and had gotten away with the murder, and Scotsman knew exactly who was responsible.

"CORP!"

A man in armor came running in. "Yes, sir!"

"Get the army prepared. We're going to attack Aku."

"And what of the daughters."

"They're ready. Prepare them, too.

We're going to war."

* * *

Outside of the walls, Ashi was arriving to the rendezvous point when she heard an argument between Aki and Atsuko.

"What in the world was that!" Aku shouted.

"She was getting on my nerves." Atsuko replied.

"We could've gotten some valuable information! Now he's gonna scrounge the world until he finds us and kills us!"

"We trained for this. We could've taken him on!"

"Our only priority right now is the samurai. We bring nobody else into this other than who we need."

"You're just a weakling. If we hadn't killed her, we would've gotten nowhere!"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK WE ARE! All we know is what he looks like. No whereabouts, no direction, no lead. We have nothing."

Amako decided to chime in. "So, what do you think we should do?"

Aki responded with, "Nothing. Let's just go. No telling when he might bring in an entire army to deal with us. We have no choice but to keep looking."

They all kept walking along to a cliff, where it led to miles upon miles of forestland. Aki prepared to jump, but before she did, she looked back at Atsuko.

"I went with what you did because of the moment. I won't make the same mistake twice."

And with that, she jumped. They all followed suit.

* * *

Tensions ran high as they kept traveling. Eventually, they forgot about the whole ordeal, and it became just like any other day. Hunting and gathering, eating, moving, traveling, and sleeping.

Eventually, they came across a man in a motorcycle. The man was wearing a mask, so they couldn't see who it was. They ran into each other on a worn path, not far from where they would meet again.

The man stopped the motorcycle and looked at them.

"Do you know anything about the Samurai?" Ashi asked.

The man simply looked. Atsuko could notice no shivers, not one indication that he might be scared.

"Hello?" Ashi asked again. The man simply stared on, red mask really punching itself into Ashi.

"Let's keep moving. He doesn't know anything." Aki said.

They did.

* * *

What they didn't know was that man was the Samurai, and he was trying to run away from another vision. For years, his visions of his parents had only gotten worse, more gruesome, more violent, and he could do nothing but face it, or run. At this point, he had gone quite mad, but at least nobody noticed. He was heading toward anywhere, when he heard an explosion. A couple of them, actually. He turned his head towards it and stared. Should he save whatever was there? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

"You want to save the day again, do you?" Mad Jack asked. He was talking to Jack ever since he reappeared.

"I…don't know." Jack replied.

"Well, you shouldn't. Saving the day, once again, will only make things worse."

"You don't know that."

"What is there to know? You know you've grown tired of helping people over and over. It's only a matter of time until you've grown tired of doing anything altogether. Come back to me when-"

"SSHHH!"

Jack listened. The chitter chatter of beetle drone legs could be heard from quite a distance. Jack focused on where it was coming from and noticed two people running from a squadron of beetle drones. It looked like they were helpless.

Jack sighed. He was going to have to do this once more. Years of trying to help people have led to nothing. He was simply a nuisance to the world of Aku. Now, the only thing keeping him here, is the one little bit of hope he had of returning home, to the past, where he belonged. He didn't belong here, he never did. There was nothing for him here.

50 years have passed since he lost his sword. However, he did not age. Time lost its effect on him. But since then, the suffering continued. Aku's grasp choked the past and the present. And now, it seemed as if it would choke his future. All hope was lost, but Jack still had something in him. Something tiny, but it was there. He would not allow Aku to be his future.

He turned on his motorcycle and rode toward the fray, his mind on nothing more than getting back. He wasn't trying to help anybody. He was trying to help himself. Aku destroyed everything, but that's no matter. It was his time, and right now, he had a mission to accomplish.

 _Got to get back._

 _Back to the past._

 _Samurai Jack._


	11. XI

" _ **50 years have passed**_

 _ **But I do not age**_

 _ **Time has lost its effect on me**_

 _ **Yet the suffering continues**_

 _ **Aku's grasp chokes the past, present, and future.**_

 _ **Hope is lost.**_

 _ **Got to get back**_

 _ **Back to the past."**_

 **Samurai Jack**

XI

The fields were peaceful, and the most excitement it ever saw was when a breeze brushed by. It was quiet. Too quiet. For a while, the silence was deafening. Something had to have been going on. Nearby, the forest trees danced in the wind, obscuring anything that might be hidden within its stead. A nearby village lay like a sitting duck, unaware of the danger it was in. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Suddenly, several explosions could be heard from the village. It was under attack.

But by who? No huge army was present. Whatever this was seemed like a silent killer.

Footsteps could be heard. Two people. A mother and her child, and the mother holding another. They were running. Running for their lives. Running as fast as they could, as to not let what was behind them catch them.

Beetle drones. Hundreds of beetle drones. All crawling, inching closer and closer to the family. The family ran as fast as they could, but it was no use. The drones were quicker. After a quick flank, the chase was over. The family was surrounded, the drones all circling around their new-found prey. However, something didn't seem right. A noise, perhaps? Yes, a noise, something hard and rowdy, like the sound of six cylinders pumping gasoline. The drones stopped completely, allowing the family to also hear the noise. It was getting louder, so whatever it was, it was getting closer. One of the drones stood up on its hind legs, allowing it to see who it was.

A single man in samurai gear, riding a motorcycle. As it was seen, the man wore a mask of an angry god. Horns protruded from his helmet like the work of the devil.

All the drones turned to face the man, awaiting any indication of an opportunity. It would be their undoing, as they all just stood there as the man took out a rocket launcher, and blasted a hole in their perimeter. Shocked, the drones kept waiting. With some simple clicks, the launcher converted into a minigun. Pulling the trigger, the man fired thousands of bullets at the drones; each one penetrating their exoskeleton, and wreaking havoc on their internals. After downing several other drones, the man put his weapon away and set up his next attack. Putting his motorcycle in the wheelie position, spikes appeared on the front wheel. He kept it in that position as a beetle drone charged, and when it was in close range, he introduced them to it. Pushing his motorcycle forward, he shredded every part of the drone. The man proceeded to boost his motorcycle into the air, and before landing on the drones, activated the spikes on the back wheel, and drove right over them, putting any unfortunate drone out of commission. It seemed he would destroy them all with one swift move.

However, the streak was cut short when one of the beetle drones tackled the man. For a moment, time slowed. The man was taken aback, but he pulled himself together, grabbing at the drone, pulling out a pistol, and filling the drone with lead. Landing on the floor, he rolled and moved away before the beetle drone could've crushed him.

The family was simply shocked. No man could accomplish such a feat by his lonesome. At least, no mortal man. Could it be…?

The man took out a stick, which extended to be a staff, and after the press of a button, became a soderagami. He proceeded to stab a drone. With a twist of his staff, he grabbed all of its cables, and pulled it all out. The drones kept coming, however, and he kept fighting. It all seemed fine, until one of them made it through his defense, cutting apart the mask. Before his face could be revealed, however, a beetle drone attacked him, sending him back. A small scuffle ensued, of which Jack won by swinging his mighty soderagami, slicing the drone in half. Standing up, the man revealed the full glory of his identity.

The man was Samurai Jack.

The family was surprised at such a revelation. They felt as if they just saw their guardian angel. The man was known across lands as the only man who has a chance against Aku. He was a martyr for the years since he has disappeared. And now, seeing his return, the family was surprised to see him.

Jack leapt into the air, letting out a great war cry. He shoved his soderagami down the length of a drone beetle. The family could feel as though he was being extra aggressive, and his looks showed it. He didn't seem any different than what the folklore had told them, but he looked way wearier. He was extremely grizzled, having a beard going down to his chest, and long hair that matched.

He pulled his soderagami out of the drone and began to take out the ones that remained. Making quick work of them, the child of the family looked up and said in the language it could, "Thank you."

But Jack didn't see it.

He got on his motorcycle and left.

* * *

Jack rode around for days, across different lands. He wasn't following a rumor. He wasn't journeying on a quest. He was simply wandering, completely aimless. Some days, he couldn't secure a source of food, and went to sleep that night starving. Other times, he'd have to run to escape some sort of mortal danger. Sometimes, his visions came back, and he'd always run away.

Not all men that wander are lost. But Jack certainly was.

* * *

Jack arrived at a large forest, the sun shining through at spots, lighting his way through the beaten path. He rode slowly through, being cautious as to not alert any possible foe in the vicinity. Over the years, Jack had become slowly less sane, paranoia setting in. It was only a matter before dementia took hold. However, these things were not on Jack's mind. To him, everything, everyone is an enemy. No one here is his friend, and he'll have to fight to the death should he not want to die.

His thoughts drifted to his, "friend". The only person that can speak to him. Of course, it was a figment of his imagination, but he spoke nevertheless. With friends like that, who needs enemies? Jack sighed. Perhaps this life was not for him after all. He had no reason to be here. There was nothing he could do to help advance his fate.

He heard a couple of explosions. A nearby village was being destroyed. He could feel the pulses as people lost their life to whatever this threat was.

 _Don't._ A voice told him.

Jack stared at the smoke with a black expression, nothing could be seen of the pain he felt.

 _Just keep going_.

Jack thought about it. Closing his eyes, he tried to envision his happy place. A grassy field, nothing to bother him, it was perfect. He was at peace. However, they were interrupted by thoughts. People dying, some pleading for help.

Jack left, a scowl in his face.

He couldn't be involved. He didn't belong here. Those decades of helping people were mistake. He shouldn't have done anything at all. Now, he realized that. He was lost in his own mind.

He shouldn't have existed at all.


End file.
